This invention relates generally to waterproof garments, and more particularly, to waterproof garments that have tape-free seams.
Some known garments are stitch-free. Such garments are made by ultrasonic or heat welding of fabrics together. However, these types of welds do not impart sufficient structural integrity or make the garment waterproof. A seam tape is typically used to make these types of welds waterproof and strong. Also, some known garments include seams that are held together by stitching. However, because of the openings that are created in the stitching process, seam tapes are used in the manufacture of waterproof garments.
The use of seam tapes adds bulk and can make the edges of the seams visible from outside the garment. Also, the equipment needed for applying the seam tapes are specialized and require development time and costs. In addition, the use of seam tapes further increases the overall cost of the garment because the garment factory needs to inventory one seam tape for every version of tricot that the factory processes.